Frank Fritz has died, Digital can confirm.
“We are saddened to share that our friend and beloved member of The HISTORY Channel and ‘American Pickers’ family, Frank Fritz, has passed away on September 30, 2024,” The History Channel and Cineflex Productions shared in a statement with Digital. “Frank filmed ‘American Pickers’ for over a decade. We will always remember ‘the bearded charmer’ and his never-ending search for vintage motorcycles and bikes. Our thoughts are with Frank’s loved ones during this difficult time. He will be deeply missed.”
His former co-star Mike Wolfe also posted about the “American Pickers” star’s death on Instagram. “It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night,” he wrote.
“I’ve [known] Frank for more [than] half my life and what you’ve seen on TV has always been what I have seen, a dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny. The same off camera as he was on, Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself.”
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Danielle Colby, who also stars in “American Pickers,” shared a tribute to the Midwestern native.
“Frank, I will miss your ability to make everyone laugh, your love for talking tattoos, your epic collections but what I will miss the most are those little glimpses of vulnerability from time to time,” Colby wrote on Instagram. “Frank, you loved your cat and your momma and we bonded on those things. You will be missed for all of these reasons and so many more.”
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Fritz suffered a stroke in 2022 and had been recovering.
“I have been very private in the past year in regards to Frank’s life and the journey he’s been on,” Wolfe wrote on Instagram at the time. “There has been lots of opinions in regards to mine and Frank’s friendship and the show but now is not the time to set the record straight. Now is the time to pray for my friend.”
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The TV star had left “American Pickers” earlier that year.
“We all do care about Frank, and we want him back on the show,” Wolfe told The Sun at the time. “I would love to talk with him again, we would absolutely love to, but he just can’t get it right.”
“Frank is just going through a lot personally with addictions,” he alleged. “It’s unfortunate that he’s made decisions that have him the way he is.”
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